Simon Raymonde
Blame Somebody Else
????
'Blame Someone Else' is the debut solo album from the bassist of the Cocteau Twins and as a whole is OK. It sort of drifts by without reminding you that you're listening to it. The album is a bit boring and some of the songs would be better associated with an Australian soap of which the 1st song,'It's a Family Thing' would be the perfect intro to.
This is the first time Raymonde has sung solo and he has a very breathy, throaty voice which doesn't sound good to me- he's better at playing bass.'Love Undone' has a trumpet solo at the beginning which must've been influenced by some soundtrack of a cheesy American cop show.The best parts of the album are the piano pieces but they are dominated by his annoying voice.The song of the album is 'In My Place', which is pretty good with a nice beat and the lyrics are alright.The backing girl improves the song no end.But you can't help thinking that he should have kept up with this style throughout the whole album.The lyrics aren't bad but don't really sound as original as I'd want on my solo album.'Worship Me' has Spiritualized's Damon Reece on drums and the sliding guitar is good but, again, his voice doesn't seem to go.
The main thrust of the album is guitar and bass but is one that doesn't really alert.'Blame Someone Else' is a bit of a bore really but if you're a fan of the Cocteau Twins you'll probably like it (I think they are,wait for it....boring).So,overall this album is sort of alright and it definitely won't make you vomit in disgust. Play it from start to end and you'll forget it finishes until the silence becomes deafening.
Howie B
Turn The Dark off
Polydor
With more hair on his chin than his head comes Howie B and by the sounds of it he's been putting his old Atari 1040 through its paces. In contrast to 'Music For Babies', the series of ambient sketches that formed Howie's debut LP, ‘Turn The Dark Off' is more true to his DJing style. The mid to fast pace hip-hop beatz are accompanied by melodies that are simply off the wall. If you need proof of Howie B's frenetic vinyl purchasing sessions you need look no further than the samples - for Christ's sake this man is more environmentally friendly than Captain Planet. Each sample is carefully recycled and reconstituted into entirely new forms.
Take the first hit (and semi-autobiographical??) 'Angels Go Bald: Too' - a unique crossover track with jarring piano chords, seventies sax breakdown and numerous eclectic bleeps. Then there's the small matter of the block rocking marching beats and bubbling bass of 'Switch'. Better still, take your pick any of the more slightly downbeat tracks such as the cheeky horns of 'Who's Got The Bacon' or the Sunday afternoon that is 'Limbo'. There's even something for your dad as Robert Robertson croons all over blues-injected 'Take Your Partner By The Hand'.
What's more the album doesn't stop at aural brilliance. For the multimedia amongst you look for the Run Drake film and Mike Benson book that compliment the album. With this in mind I plea the case for multi-talented producer, songwriter, record label owner and DJ that is Howie B and make one meagre request. Please refrain from letting the words "Isn't he the guy that DJs a bit at U2's concerts" pass your lips. I think we both know he's worth a bit more than that.
Loop Guru
Loop Bites Dog
North South Records
To be perfectly honest, Loop Guru didn't mean a thing to me. Having never heard of ‘Loop Bites Dog’, ‘Blue Bubble Freak Pop’, ‘Purple Heaven’, ‘Green Hammock’ and ‘White Quark’ what could possibly be expected?!
Having listened to it, I wasn't really any clearer and found myself left, I think, as mixed up and confused as Loop Guru themselves. It certainly gives a whole new meaning to ambient Indian sounds; Future Sounds of India eat your heart out.
O.K... here's the picture... you take the dodgy hippy shop, you can almost smell those jossticks burning, the ambient drones of the wailing dolphins and gentle harmonics fill the air. But then... throw in a chanting Indian (for a minute you are in Balti land), a few eerie cow-bells and tribal undertones, a fast frantic beat and there you have blue bubble freak pop. So you see, my confusion may be understood. Do you "chill out" to this music? Or does it lead you into a rhythmic frenzy? Could it rightly be described as a New Age ethnic hell?
Imagine Game Boy with beat: bongoes and percussion. Visualise majorettes on acid, a big band underwater, a symphony of kazoos, drum and bass for papa... The diversity of this extraordinary compilation is just beyond me. Maybe ‘Single Orphan First Year Camel’, ‘Gungaroo’, ‘Mud Monkey’ and ‘Tam Duugi’ would be some virgin earth child's cup of herbal tea, but personally I'd rather stick to my PG Tips.
The Jam
The Very Best Of...
????
It's all their singles, basically, and in chronological order, no less. A journey with the boys through the troughs and peaks of their turbulent existence. Great.
Despite the commercial succes not truly arriving until the second half of their career, it was the Jam's first three albums that actually provided a voice for the masses, soundtracks to the frustration stemming from the general apathy inherent in the youth of the UK, promoting Weller to the status of underground hero, a frustrated genius disillusioned with the system.
He wasn't, of course, he was just a bloke with a gift for songwriting who'd got a bit pissed off, and maybe that was part of the problem. Weller had unwittingly become a leader and really didn't handle the pressure of a nation very well, however undeserved it may have been, trying far too hard to write anthem after anthem for his disciples. The early sound may not have been particularly polished, but at least his lyrics were more from personal experience and ‘In the City’ and Down In The Tube Station’ still sound as convincing as they must have done on release.
Then, via ‘Going Underground’, Weller's penchant for Heavy Soul began to rear its ugly head. Not a good thing, for Weller has never been a soul singer and the sound became mechanical and uninspired. ‘Funeral Pyre’ hints at this but ‘Absolute Beginners’ reeks of desperation and contrivance, Katrina and the Waves horns 'n all, and still sounds truly awful. And as for ‘A Town Called Malice’...
To their credit, they saw through the success of this venture and called it a day, thankfully with the touching ‘Beat Surrender’, which encapsulates their six years and ironically comes as close as they ever did to a "new sound".
At 18, in ‘The Modern World’, Weller wrote "All my life has been the same, is my inspiration dry?". Not long now, son...
Echobelly’s third album really does sound like Echobelly’s third album. They almost sound like something new and different until they run away and become yet another guitar band. After lifting the first track ‘Bulldog Baby’ with a majestic and beautifully arranged orchestral backing, Echobelly sack the orchestra and buy another guitar. After playing something interesting on the guitar for a while they say “bollocks to that” and kick on the distortion. After producing some genuinely exciting rhythm the drummer gets fed up and starts playing the same old shit. It seems that they almost produced something quite good here but just couldn’t be bothered. Even Sonya’s sharp voice just fades away with the absense of any real tune and the boring SOS background. It seems that the some of the tracks might have been better if she had kept quiet and let the guitarists do some work.
Don’t get me wrong, its not that this isn’t a good album. I mean, it would probably have been quite easy for Echobelly to produce an album full of easily accessible power-pop throwaway rubbish, and they deserve credit for not doing so. It’s just that it’s another another third album featuring somebody with a nice voice singing, some guitars (11 tracks electric, 1 track acoustic), a few orchestral bits and enough to get you excited breifly before bringing you right back down again.
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
Heavenly
A&M
My grandmother, on her deathbed, turned to me and whispered with her very few last breaths, “Jon,” which is me, “whatever you do, don’t sell out!”. I’ve spent many years pondering upon these words of wisdom and also why I was in bed with her in the first place. Two years of counselling have failed to reveal the answer to the latter, but the former has dawned on me only recently when handed this CD. My granny, may she rest in peace, was of course referring to none other than Ladysmith Black Mambazo, everyone’s favourite garishly-dressed South African singing chappies.
They sadly have gone the way of other greats, such as The Spice Girls, who turned overnight from lesbian folk act into the commercial hellwhores we all admire on our packs of Doritos. Ladysmith Black Mambazo fortunately aren’t hellwhores, but their album is brought to you in association with Heinz. The reason for this is that LBM’s single ‘Inkanyezi Nezazi’ (Africaans for “Heinz is good! Buy some! I would!”) has recently featured in the manufacturer of quality foodstuffs’ advertising campaign.
The highlight of the album is, without a doubt, Dolly Parton singing ‘Knocking On Heaven’s Door’, with LBM providing backing vocals in Welsh. Why they chose to sing in Welsh I have no idea. Maybe Wales represents a niche in the tinned foodstuffs market? Unless you’re into Welsh gospel singing, I recommend you spend your £15 on 50 tins of Heinz Baked Beans, say. By far the wiser choice - everytime
All apologies to my grandmother, who is fit and well and currently residing in Stanmore. Bless!
Bjork
Homogenic
One Little Indian
When you think of Björk, unless you’re already a fan, you probably say “woman who clucks like a chicken and calls it singing”. Well, so did I until I listened to ‘Homogenic’, and I can now confirm from personal experience that Björk has one of the sexiest voices on the planet.
This really comes through on the new album, a more mature and tempered piece of work than her earlier efforts. Further, free from the collaborations which made up ‘Debut’ and ‘Post’, this seems a much more personal album. Nowhere is this clearer than in the lyrics; on ‘All Neon Like’, she sings “the cocoon surrounds you / embraces you / so you can sleep / foetus style”. Deep, huh? Seriously, though, these are quite delicate and beautiful love songs.
The music is similarly delicate, in many respects complementing her lyrics, as she twins mellow trip-hop beats with violins. The result is smoother and easier on the ear than some of her earlier work, and its complex subtleties make the album all the more interesting to hear. However, the best song of the album is probably, in musical terms at least, the most stripped down. This is the single , ‘Joga’, a beautiful, emotionally raw song where Björk is at her best, singing “every nerve that hurts, you heal / deep inside of me / you don’t have to speak - I feel / emotional landscapes / they puzzle me / confuse”. Th efinal result is undescribably personal and simply breathtaking.
This album is beautiful, and it’s not often nowadays that can be said. OK, so she looks like Minnie Mouse on the front cover, but all is now forgiven. At least now I think you’re sexy, Björk.
Pressure Drop
Elusive
Hard Hands
You know that feeling when it’s your birthday and there’s a parcel that looks suspiciously like a CD and you get all excited wondering which of the many albums you’ve been wanting for ages it could be. You tear open the wrapping paper to find...a Pan Pipe Moods CD. Your heart sinks, you feel disappointed, let down, frustrated at the waste - of all the things they could have given you! ... No? ... Well, maybe I have particularly warped and cruel parents.
Anyway, that’s the exact same feeling I had listening to Pressure Drop’s new album ‘Elusive’. It could have been a good album, but they ruined it and I felt frustrated at the waste of potential. Most of the tracks started beautifully, with strong Leftfield-type rhythms and soulful melodies on the harmonica or strings, but as soon as the singing started, I had to skip to the next track because it was just too painful. I found myself silently begging at the start of each track that this time there would be no vocals. They just didn’t go with the music, and as for the lyrics - “Alienation, segregation, love your brother, man”-type, heard-it-all-before rubbish! Considering the group have managed to discover a few new and interesting harmonies, it’s a pity their imagination ran out totally when it came to the words.
There are five listenable tracks on this album, four of which are instrumentals. In particular, ‘Dusk’ stands out as simple but haunting, with eerie string sounds and echoey chorus voices which do sort of make you feel like everything is growing darker. ‘Obsessed’ is the one track with vocals that actually works quite well and draws you in (even if it is against your will). It’s a clear example of what they could have done, which makes it both the best and the most frustrating track on the album. Yet even this is spoilt by moments of loud and tuneless noise added in for no apparent reason.
The only thing that’s elusive about Pressure Drop is how on earth they managed to make it as far as this fourth album - I guess some people out there must like them. But then massive Attack have done really well and I don’t like them either, but at least I can recognise they have a certain style, which is something Pressure Drop are seriously lacking.
The Dawn, refugees from the 1970s, cryogenically frozen... until now. Not really, but you could be forgiven for thinking this after listening to the Preston five-piece’s debut mini-album. Everything about this release reeks of retro, from the trippy cover to the typically clichéd band photograph, to the music itself.
Early releases, such as ‘Losing Streak’, which found its way onto a free Kerrang! magazine tape in October 96, suggested that The Dawn lacked a cutting edge, but this 6-track EP shows a newly developed, more aggressive approach, perhaps evolved from their UK tour with cheeky hardcore scousers dBh. Tracks such as ‘Feel Like Living’ or ‘Sister Mystery’ threaten to deliver something memorable, but never quite get there. The standout track on ‘Five Days Wiser’ is without doubt the title track, which is nailed on one pure Sabbathesque groove.’Mesmerize’ is the album’s quiet moment, which rolls along on a laid-back guitar riff until the traditional widdlefest rears its ugly head.
The Dawn are a band who wear their influences on their sleeves, and this is perhaps where they fall down. They try too hard to incorporate these influences into their sound, creating something with little definition. Bands such as The Dawn and fellow northern blokes Dearly Beheaded will always suffer from this affliction, creating music of a bygone age which simply cannot competewith the likes of Black Sabbath or Led Zeppelin.
Citizens Utilities
No More Medicine
Mute
As lo-fi becomes increasingly hi-fi, Citizens Utilities' have managed to combine the two without seeming like they’re trying too hard. Whilst sounding ostensibly like another American-indie-guitar-pop-band, they have remained true to their obvious lo-fi roots, and often integrate other styles into their songs. These include a flute solo (‘Northern Lights’), cello (‘Idaho’) , bluegrass banjo (‘Call It Your Own’) and heavy rock chordage, which all contributes to the high level of inventiveness throughout this album.
Blending the odd ballad with a screeching, raw guitar solo, it is not easy to slot them into a nicely, precategorised pigeon-hole. Their closest-sounding contemporaries I can think of would be The Posies or maybe Loud Family. Their defining feature is their willinngness to incorporate other genres into their songs. Notably in the title track, a keyboard and wailing harmonica duet beautifully to close out the album. Bill Herzog and Joshua Medaris produce some soaring vocal harmonies throughout the LP, adding another dimension to an already formidable arsenal.
Breaking from the current trend of American cheerful shite, it's refreshing to see some more miserabilist music from the U.S.A, the like of which we haven't seen since grunge died its death. Citizens' Utilities are no Nirvana, but their songs concern alienation, meloncholy and despair (‘Oh no,’ you groan) , but with a refreshing ability to laugh at oneself: ‘Gonna hit the pavement, before she hits me’ they declare on ‘Heave Away’. This is all set against the backdrop of an unexplored, vast America, which still retains the magic it sold cheaply long ago.
Alpha
Come From Heaven
Melankolik
Signed to Massive Attack's Melankolic label, Bristol based Alpha are songwriters and producers Andy Jenks and Corin Dingley. Their music has been described as the sound of falling in love. Listening to the album, with its dark edges on seemingly straightforward songs, I'd say it's more like the sound of falling into an intoxicated and dreamy sleep. 'Come from Heaven', released on September 15, is their first album.
As a collection of tracks the album seems to section off into those that could be on obscure film soundtracks and those that are drowsy late night soul songs. As a whole it's the kind of music that is great for dozing, dreaming and generally feeling lethargic to.
The hauntingly beautiful 'Slim', with its scratchiness, steady piano bassline and the disconnected vocals of Helen White, is a twisted love song reminiscent of Portishead's 'Glory Box'. But with the occasional cinematic sweeps and surges of flutes and strings, Alpha brings about a fusion of the classical and the new. In doing this they show they're not completely adopting the Portishead style they could be in danger of doing with the kind of music they're producing.
There are suggestions of darkness and enclosure provided with tracks such as 'Nyquil'. The insistent bassline pulses while the strings sway moodily in and out. The languorous vocals of Wendy Stubbs are eerily good but as with many of the tracks the lyrics aren't great; "Happy as Larry / A smile I would carry."
In contrast to these twisted love songs are the drifty hazy soundscapes with dark undertows like 'AppleOrange'. Gentle swaying drums are fused with space ship beeps, a violin carries the tune forward while a distorted vocal loop sounds throughout.
Jenks and Dingley make a lot of use of disconnected vocal samples and sounds ranging from dogs barking ('Come from Heaven') to aeroplanes flying overhead ('Come from Heaven' and 'Firefly') feature. These are blended into crafted tunes that seem almost vaguely familiar, classic.
They blend the traditional with the new and technique with emotion, and for the most part it does work. But where Alpha perhaps falls down is in its overuse of gentle jazzy drums and its rather weak lyrics. However as you'll probably be daydreaming whilst listening to the album's soothing tunes you're unlikely to notice. Come from Heaven is more notable for the smoky sounds it produces and the narcotic swaying moods it creates.